Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference a forum for sharing safety ideas and innovation

Last year, the number of traffic fatalities in America fell to the lowest levels since 1949.

But even in the best year on record, tens of thousands of lives were lost on American roads – and hundreds of thousands more suffered serious injury.   So I want to thank everyone taking part this week in the 22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles for their efforts to help make our roads safer.

This biennial event, sponsored by DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is an opportunity for experts from around the globe to exchange innovative vehicle safety research technologies and real world data to help save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce vehicle-related crashes.

In addition to hearing from some of the smartest safety experts from around the world, I had the opportunity to speak about how DOT is working to make cars, roadways, and drivers safer.

NHTSA’s new, tougher five-star crash safety rating system combines all of a car’s safety ratings into an overall vehicle score. More stars means safer cars.

And DOT has allotted more than $1 billion in the last two years alone to road projects that are improving traffic management and installing hundreds of miles of rumble strips and cable medians. We’ve also required that highway projects built with Recovery Act funds include wider shoulders and more effective guardrails.

In addition to promoting safer cars and roadways, DOT has also been working hard to promote safer driving.

As readers of this blog know, we are tirelessly raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. Whether it's through our "Faces of Distracted Driving" videos, our two national summits, or our other ongoing efforts to end this deadly epidemic, America's drivers are getting the message that no text or call is worth it.  

 

When we held our first distracted driving summit in 2009, only 12 states and Guam had texting bans in place.  Today, 33 states, Guam, and Washington, DC, have outlawed texting behind the wheel with eight states, DC, and the Virgin Islands banning handheld cell-phone use for all drivers.   To support those laws, we’ve also launched two very effective pilot enforcement programs that have dramatically reduced distracted driving in Hartford, Connecticut, and Syracuse, New York.

Through a combination of good laws, public education, and tough enforcement, we’ve learned over the years that drivers can and do change their unsafe behaviors.

Since we started our “Click It or Ticket” program, 85 percent of Americans now buckle up when they get in their cars, up from 60 percent only 15 years ago.

Photo courtesy Julie Fischer McCarter, DOT

We’ve also reminded Americans that if they’re over the limit, then they’ll be under arrest.  And although driving under the influence is still a serious problem, we’ve seen drunk driving fatalities decline by almost 20 percent between 2006 and 2009.

But we will not rest on our laurels.

Even one traffic death or injury is one too many.  DOT is proud to partner with safety leaders from around the world, and we will continue working hard to keep people safe on America's roadways.

Comments

[Lily]

Glad you're finally doing something to address the texting-while-driving problem. It's really becoming a huge issue in our society and it's definitely time to address it!

[Cygel White]

And I would like to remind readers that TALKING& TEXTING WHILE DRIVING KILLS and that there are Technology Solutions that can help save lives “TextKills, an advocacy group committed to road safety, is dedicated to increasing awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. With the proliferation of Smartphones and the constant streaming of information to and from these and other “smart” mobile communication devices, texting while driving (TWD) is now an epidemic that results in thousands of fatalities and 100's of thousands of injuries annually. TextKills educates the public through social media campaigns and school tours in order to promote policies and programs aimed at enhancing greater personal responsibility and safety awareness among drivers and, ultimately, eliminating TWD from our roadways.”
In 2010, TextKills launched a tour to rally college and high-school students against the dangers of TWD. Our team presented information to these students and encouraged each attendee to sign a promise to pay attention when driving. We also promoted a mobile application designed to help drivers resist the urge, and temptation, to engage in TWD. The TextKills blog (www.textkills.com) documented each stop along the way as the tour eventually found its way to the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit, hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. TextKills strongly believes that it is critical to direct its mission to the youth of this country, given the findings of a 2009 government study that found that the under-20 age group comprised the largest percentage, by age category, of distracted drivers.
During 2011, TextKills will continue to strive for a surge in pledges and media coverage so as to further spread its mission of safety, attention to road laws and mobile communications etiquette. The group’s goal is to instill these principles into the next generation of drivers and smart device users, so that like taking the precaution of buckling up a seatbelt, undistracted driving and responsible mobile communications practices will no longer be just a dream, but rather a life-saving reality.
So I ask you, "Do you agree that texting while driving is a bad practice?"
SOLUTIONS
Technology
DriveReply™ for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android was designed to combat cell phone usage behind the wheel. It features customizable auto-replies and utilizes GPS technology to detect when your vehicle is in motion. It is feature rich and easy to use. Some of the features include personalization, customization of replies, cyber bullying protection with a no-reply list, and enhanced convenience and security with a unique My Drive 5 -- ringing a unique tone, if any of your significant persons try to reach you at a time when you should be focused on the road. Learn more at the website (www.drivereply.com).
Features:
• Safely monitor the a Smartphone's incoming calls and text messages while the vehicle is traveling at a rate of speed at or greater than 10-15MPH
• Provide customization in auto-reply messages for inbound calls and inbound text messages while the vehicle is in motion
• Provide personalized responses, so that a recipient would be identified by name in automated replies received
• Provide a No-Reply List (blacklist)for individuals that will not receive automated replies from the app user
• Provide a My Drive 5™ List (whitelist) for important individuals that user designates must get through with phone calls or text messages (to the user) in the event of a possible emergency
• Provide a passenger selection option, should the user be a passenger, rather than a driver, and desire to disable the auto-reply function of the app
• Provide a Battery Alert System to notify a driver that their battery is running low, so that the driver can safely pull over to plug the phone in to a charging system and maintain theDriveReply™ service
• DriveReply™ is available in English and Spanish language versions

[Bob]

Texting while driving is so dangerous particularly among teens. I'm glad we're moving in the right direction.

[phone number lookup]

I agree with bob. Texting pretty much takes your entire attention off the road which puts animals and pedestrians in harms way. Especially when the driver is completely unaware of what is going on in front of them.

[bq]

I read an article a couple of days ago. It talks about the fact that people are using the internet more when they drive. This is a very troubling trend. I really don't understand why people are so careless when they drive. Don't they get the fact they are putting themselves and others in danger?
http://zautos.com/more-drivers-than-ever-use-the-internet-while-driving/

[hazır site kur]

I am sorry I really don't understand why people are so careless when they drive. Don't they get the fact they are putting themselves and others in very danger?